APGOV UNIT 4

Individualism

The belief that people should be responsible for themselves and their own success.

Equality of Opportunity

The idea that everyone should have the same chance to get ahead, not that everyone ends up the same.

Free Enterprise

An economic system where businesses compete with little government control.

Rule of Law

The principle that no one is above the law, and everyone must follow the same rules.

Political Culture

- The set of shared attitudes and beliefs a group of people has about politics and government.

Core Values

The fundamental beliefs, like liberty and equality, that unite a nation's political culture.

Political Socialization

The process of learning your political beliefs and values, usually starting when you're young.

Agents of Socialization

The people and groups, like your family, friends, and school, that teach you about politics.

Generational Effects

How major events (like a war or recession) shape the political views of an entire age group.

Life-Cycle Effects

How people's political views tend to change as they get older and go through different stages of life.

Political Ideology

A person's consistent set of beliefs about the role of government and public policy

Public Opinion

The collection of attitudes and beliefs that a large group of people holds about a topic or leader.

Scientific Polling

Using careful, random sampling and specific methods to get an accurate snapshot of public opinion.

Opinion Poll

A survey asking a small group of people questions to guess what a larger group thinks.

Benchmark Poll

A survey taken at the very beginning of a campaign to see where a candidate stands.

Tracking Poll

A series of polls asking the same questions over time to watch for changes in opinion.

Exit Poll

A survey taken of voters right after they leave the polling place to predict the election winner.

Sampling

The process of choosing a small, representative group from a larger population to survey.

Random Sample

A way of picking people for a poll where every single person in the larger group has an equal chance of being chosen.

Margin of Error

A number that tells you how much a poll's results might be wrong compared to the whole population.

Question Wording

How the way a poll question is phrased can change the answers people give.

Reliability and Validity

Whether a poll is consistent (reliability) and measures what it's supposed to measure (validity).

Democratic Party Platform

The list of official goals and beliefs of the Democratic party, often favoring more government services and social programs.

Republican Party Platform

The list of official goals andbeliefs of the Republican party, often favoring lower taxes, less government, and a strong military.

Public Policy

The set of laws, rules, and actions the government takes to address a specific problem.

Liberty vs. Order

The classic political debate over how much individual freedom we should give up to have security and safety.

Democratic Ideals

The core beliefs like liberty, equality, and self-government that form the basis of a democracy.

Multiculturalism vs. Assimilation

The debate over whether new groups should keep their own cultures (multiculturalism) or blend into the main culture (assimilation).

Fiscal Policy

 How the government uses taxing and spending to influence the economy.

Keynesian Economics

The idea that the government should increase spending during bad economic times to boost demand.

Supply-Side Economics

The idea that cutting taxes, especially for businesses, will encourage growth and help the economy.

Monetary Policy

How the country's central bank (the Fed) manages the money supply and interest rates.

Federal Reserve (The Fed)

The central bank of the United States that manages the country's monetary policy.

Regulation vs. Deregulation

The debate over whether the government should place more rules on businesses (regulation) or remove them (deregulation).

Libertarianism

A political belief that the government should be very small and stay out of both the economy and people's personal lives.

Social Policy

Government actions and programs designed to help people's well-being, like in health, education, and welfare.

Liberal View

A political belief that generally favors government action to solve social problems and promote equality.

Conservative View

A political belief that generally favors limited government, free markets, and traditional values.

Libertarian View

A political belief that wants the government to stay out of both economic issues and personal social choices.

Policy Trends

The general directions or changes in government policies and public opinion over a period of time.

Obergefell v. Hodges(2015)

The Supreme Court decision that legalized same-sex marriage across the entire United States.